Revolving furnace for volatilizing zinc ores.



H. H. HUGHES.

BBvoLvING FUBNACE FOR VOLATILIZING ZINC oREs.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 6, 1908.

Patented May 4, 1909.

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HARRY H. HUGHES, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

REVOLVING FURNACE 'FOR VOLATILZNG ZINC GRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Application led April 6, 1908. Serial No. 425,531.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY H. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield', in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Furnaces for Volatilizing Zinc Ore; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description .of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates to furnaces for volatilizing zinc ore, and has for its object to provide a furnace of this kind in which the temperature canbe controlled with certainty.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind in which the degree of heat is automatically applied to that ortion of the fur nace where it is most nee ed.

Another object is to provide a furnace which wiil automatically agitato the residue from the ore in order that all of the zinc thereof may be eva orated.

For these and stil other objects which will appear as the description proceeds the invention consists of certain novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts of which the herein described furnace is one of many possible embodiments.

While herein the description refers to minute details of the invention, the invention is not limited to these as the details of construction and combination may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

-n the annexed drawing forming a part of this specification which is for illustrative purposes only and therefore not drawn to any particular scale, the figure is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the furnace.

The furnace is supported on a suitable base 1, having a forward standard 2, and a rear standard 3, carrying suitable bearings in which are sup orted the upper and lower trunnions 1 an 5, of the revolving furnace 6. The furnace is iined with an inner layer 7, of refractory materiai, for instance magnesium oxid. Nez-t to the lining 7 is a iayer of enamel or the like 8, in which are embedded heating wires 9, passing up through the trunnions e to the collector rings Q, contacted by suitabie brushes 10, having conductors 11, connecting the same through an adjustable resistance 12, to the iine wires 18. The amount of current passing through the eol- .lector rings 9 is reguiate by means of the resistance 12, so that the exact desired temperature in the furnace may be obtained.

Brackets 14, on the standard 2 support a hopper 15, having a lower tube 16, passing through the trunnion f1 into the furnace 6. The powdered zinc ore is fed down through this hopper and tube into the furnace. The lower end of the furnace is provided with a gear 17, adapted to be rotated by a worm 18, on a suitable motor, or other source of power 19, connected to a suitable starter 20.

It will be noticed that the furnace 6 is placed in such a slanting position that when the melted residue 21 fills said furnace enough for the same to pass out through the trunnion 5, a space 22 is left free of the melted material, or the material lies thereon in a very thin layer. Thisf'isthematerial newly introduced into the furnace, and because this material lies thinnest atthis point the temperature at this oint is hottest and serves to more effectual y and quickly raise the ore to the desired temperature. Openings 23` permit the zinc vapoto pass out of the furnace wherethey are condensed. The Zinc may be collected in any suitable manner, and herein I illustrate a hood 24 covering the upper end of the furnace and provided with an opening 25, at the lower side thereof. It is, however, understood that I do not limit myself to any particular arrangement of this kind.

The furnace 5 is provided on the outside with a layer 26, of suitable heat insulating material, which may be held in place Eby'a metal sheet 27.

The operation of the device is obvious. The powdered zinc ore is fed down through the ho per 15 and tube 16 into the furnace and fa. s upon the highiy'incandescent lining 7, the heat beine' auch that the zinc is easily volatilized but'is not oxidized, the furnace being air tight and airbeing thus excluded. The melted material. is passed on toward the trunnion 5, and is continuall stirred up by the revolving furnace and ai of the residue passes out from the trunnion 5, when the zinc isfully extracted Afrom the ore.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Fatent is 1. In combination with a nace provided one e l a central lon itudinai tubular tru". dior c .aring, an annu- Iar hood of greater diameter than the fernace rigidly mounted upon cylindricai fur# LEA! `bearing and communicating with the interior of the furnace, means for rotating the cylinder, means for heating the cylinder and a hopper supported at one end of the furnace above said trunnion bearing and provided with a cylindrical Vfeed tube which extends through said bearing and said hood and projects into the furnace.

2. In combination with a cylindrical furnace provided at one end with a central longitudinal tubular trunnion bearing, and Aa plurality of openings in its adjacent end wall around said bearing, an annularv hood of greater diameter than the furnace to collect the volatilized ore, rigidly mounted upon said bearing and having a plurality of openings to register with those of the furnace, a hopper su ported at one end of the furnace and provi ed at its bottom with a cylindrical `feed tube which extends through and fits closely within said trunnion bearing and projects into one end of the furnace, and means for withdrawing the volatilized ore from the hood.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY H. HUGHES.

l/Vitnesses I JosEPH MAAS, A. F. HAWKINS, Jr. 

